Of Sharing Beds and Office Quarrels
by Hedonistic Opportunist
Summary: Some people are simply masochists.


**Of Sharing Beds and Office Quarrels**

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

**A/N: **Written for springkink. All feedback appreciated (yes, really XD).

...

_(It's always easy to lie when you're surrounded by the comforts of the familiar). _

"I don't want to share a bed with you - you're the one who always crawls into bed with me," Hisoka said angrily, annoyance so clear in his voice that any other person would have backed off - after all, there was this saying that you just didn't play with fire, no matter how tempting it could prove to be. Tsuzuki, however had no fear of being burnt. Perhaps, it was his inner masochist, always on the look-out for some pain, but then the fact remained that, in some ways, he really just was an idiot. Only an idiot would have loudly announced that Hisoka should just quit being such a baby and stop pushing him out of the bed in the morning. Because that wasn't only cruel but also callous, according to Tsuzuki.

After all, he did keep Hisoka warm, didn't he?

Tsuzuki might not have noticed that they weren't alone, but Hisoka did.

"Gosh, will you stop?" Hisoka hissed, ears red. "It's embarrassing. And it's not like it's comfortable - I mean, the bed is small and all."

And it was small, meaning that, when Hisoka and Tsuzuki slept in it together, their bodies usually got into close proximity. Which Hisoka mused wasn't something you were supposed to think about.

"B-but it's lonely if you're not there - I mean, really lonely and it feels bad when I can't touch you," Tsuzuki retorted - again, a little too loudly - which made Tatsumi look up in amazement, push up his glasses and cough; Watari just chuckled in amusement and the Chief - well, he just pretended not to hear. Some things, as many a wise man will tell you, are just better not dealt with. Especially if it concerns your subordinates and what they do (or don't do) in bed with each other. Now, the Chief was a reasonable man and sociable, but he really didn't need the visual imagery of Tsuzuki and Hisoka in bed with each other.

Hisoka, seeing red, gritted his teeth and stepped on to Tsuzuki's toe. Not all too gently. Of course, Tsuzuki - being the crybaby he sometimes was - yelped and presented a nice picture by hopping around like a kangaroo that had gotten drunk.

"Hisoka, you didn't have do that."

"Your fault, idiot for speaking such garbage," Hisoka said in return, fury running so wildly in his veins that he couldn't think clearly anymore,"do you want others to think we're involved in _that kind of relationship?"_

"But-" Tsuzuki started, only to have a hand clasped around his mouth. Of course, this meant he couldn't continue his outburst - to the dismay of some listeners who, though pretending not to pay attention, had been observing the spectacle with ardent fascination. Indeed, it has been noted that, among executions and break-ups taking place in the public, arguments of the intimate nature are always fascinating for uninvolved outsiders.

"If you say as much as another word, I'll castrate you," Hisoka promised darkly. And that was that. After all, stubborn and obnoxious as Tsuzuki could be, he did value his manhood.

_(Shadows borne out of darkness - creeping, lingering, waiting - are everwhere)_

In his sleep, Hisoka thrashed and groaned; sometimes a "no, no - stop" escaped his lips and Tsuzuki, anxious by what was going on, would switch the night-lamp on. Though Hisoka would murmur something inaudible, he did not wake up - and that was fine, more than fine. Tsuzuki knew that, if Hisoka had been awake, he wouldn't have been able to do this. Because, no matter how close they had grown, one thing that Hisoka would still never admit to was that he wasn't always strong, that - sometimes - he needed Tsuzuki as much as he needed him.

This time, it was the same: Hisoka was asleep, frowning evidently as he was plagued by nightmares - probably dreaming of a cruel smile and even crueller hands tainting him, tearing him apart -

Tsuzuki hated seeing Hisoka in so much pain. Loathed it - and wanted to protect him. Because he cared and, as long as he was there, he wanted to be someone that Hisoka turned to when he was in trouble. They were partners, weren't they?

"It's fine to need help from time to time," Tsuzuki wanted to tell Hisoka so badly. Not that Hisoka was weak - he was far from being that. He'd not given in and, what made Tsuzuki admire Hisoka even more, worked so hard at becoming stronger, doing his best to leave the past behind. Sometimes Tsuzuki asked himself if it wasn't Hisoka who needed the protection but himself. Since he was the one who couldn't let go and, though smiling on the outside, wanted nothing else but just to close his eyes forever.

No, in the light of all this, Hisoka wasn't weak at all but so much stronger than him.

Yet, Tsuzuki felt the need to turn the light off, crawl into his partner's bed and wrap his arms around the boy's sleeping frame; it was all he could give. Perhaps, it was not enough - and never would be - but it was better than nothing.

Better than being alone, Tsuzuki reasoned, feeling himself drift off into sleep, his mind calmer than it had been in ages.

_(It's fine when you're here)_

Hisoka never told Tsuzuki, but he knew that the older man held him at nights. At first, he'd meant to do something against it - confront Tsuzuki about it; however, somehow, it had never really come that far. Strange that since Hisoka was usually quite adamant about criticising his partner. Yet, he remained lenient about this.

Maybe, Hisoka thought, it was because he knew that Tsuzuki needed this, too; perhaps, Tsuzuki was just as afraid of closing his eyes and being haunted by memories as Hisoka was.

Besides, in spite of all his protests against sharing a bed with Tsuzuki, Hisoka didn't mind it so much, really: Tsuzuki's hands were warm, his soft snores comforting and, as Hisoka had noticed, the simple fact that you had someone to rely on was quite assuring. After all, if it he ever took a wrong step, there would always be someone to catch him. Indeed, he'd allow Tsuzuki to be his pillar of strength - if Tsuzuki did the same.

Because, no matter how open Tsuzuki could be, in some ways, Hisoka still felt that he was pushing him away.

However, Hisoka wouldn't give up: he was part of Tsuzuki's life now and nothing was going to change that.

_(And the cycle keeps repeating itself) _

"I told you again and again: no - I won't let you sleep in the same bed as I do. It's bad enough that we share the same room."

Hisoka really hated how messy Tsuzuki was, how he left bread crumbs all over the place and couldn't seem to stop throwing his clothes all over the floor. He wasn't going to do it now though; Hisoka had pretty much given up on the notion that Tsuzuki was ever going to learn. Old age just didn't make you any wiser, it seemed.

"But Hisoka-"

"Just shut up!"

It was always the same. The "shut up" was followed by Tsuzuki whining, Hisoka's protests growing even more vehement and, of course, everyone watching the argument with more interest than was, perhaps, laudable. Then again, it was very hard not to listen, seeing how neither Hisoka nor Tsuzuki seemed to have the presence of mind to carry on their quarrel elsewhere.

Tatsumi massaged his temples as he tried to ignore the noise - there was work to be done and those two fools - no, love birds, really - were making it hard for him to focus. But he couldn't resist smirking a bit.

"You know, I do wonder if they're not fed up of it," Watari said dryly, playing idly with a strand of his hair. Sitting on a chair next to Tatsumi, he observed the scene with an open grin spread against his features, obviously relishing in the predictability of it. Perhaps, it wasn't Physics but he liked it - human emotions were, indeed, a highly interesting phenomenon.

"Of what?"

"The denial, the unresolved sexual tension - I mean, come on! It's so thick you could cut through with it a kitchen knife. Or something like that. I wonder if it isn't annoying? I'd probably go crazy."

Tatsumi's eyebrows rose at the "crazy" comment. Right. Like trying to invent a potion that could change your gender wasn't crazy enough. Whatever. But this wasn't the time to muse on Watari's notorious quirks - he knew that the other man expected an answer. And he provided.

"Some people are simply masochists."


End file.
